Raphael. The Revolution of Tapestry Design

In the autumn of 2023, the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna showcases a medium that played a central role in the public celebrations of princely power and magnificence during the Renaissance: monumental tapestries.

The most exquisite products fashioned from delicate silks and precious metal threads were produced in Brussels, including the series of tapestries depicting the story of the Apostles, commissioned by Pope Leo X (1475-1521) for the Sistine Chapel in Rome. The cartoons, which led to a stylistic revolution in Flemish tapestry design, are by the celebrated Italian artist Raffaele Santi (1483-1520). Taking Raphael's designs as a starting point, the exhibition explores the evolution of the art of tapestries in the sixteenth century, and presents a selection of masterpieces from the Kunsthistorisches Museum's rich holdings of tapestries.

In 1515, Pope Leo X commissioned the Italian painter Raffaello Sanzio (1483-1520), now generally known as Raphael in English, to make the cartoons for a series of ten tapestries with scenes from the lives of Saints Peter and Paul. This commission played an instrumental part in the stylistic development of the Flemish tapestries, a marvellous illustration of princely splendour in the sixteenth century. Under Habsburg rule, Brussels soon emerged as a leading manufactory for exquisite products.
Raphael's designs are among the most successful series in the history of tapestry production.This publication highlights the tremendous wealth of these tapestries in intricate detail. It accompanies a collection exhibition of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, home tothe former imperial tapestry collection, from 26 September 2023 to 14 January 2024.